The "What's this word/phrase?" thread

aaronvanvalen Wrote:I was wondering if anyone can give me more insight into the difference between さびしい and さみしい cos I find I hear さみしい a lot more but I am not sure if there is an actual difference.

Both are correct. Historically さびしい is older, and it's the standard pronunciation in TV news. In real life, a lot of people differentiate the two. If you want to distinguish them, you use さみしい when you feel lonely and use さびしい when you describe a desolate place. It's a matter of preference, though.